A great aid to fire fighters in extinguishing fires from aerial ladders is the waterway. A waterway is a device used on fire trucks and other fire fighting equipment. A waterway typically includes a monitor bracket attached to an aerial ladder of a fire truck or other fire fighting apparatus and a nozzle attached to the bracket for spraying water or extinguishing chemicals onto the fire. In addition, there is a means of supplying the water or chemicals to the waterway nozzle. The waterway extends and contracts with the aerial ladder of a fire truck or other fire fighting apparatus. The nozzle may have a fixed position, be operated by a fire fighter on the ladder at the waterway, or be controlled at a remote location by a controlling means.
The function of the waterway is to provide a means for spraying water or other extinguishing chemicals on a fire. Once set-up and operating, it continues to spray the fire with limited involvement by the fire fighters. Thus they are free to set-up and operate additional fire fighting equipment. One common application of the waterway is where it is unsafe for a fire fighter to be located within a close proximity to the fire. A waterway attached to an aerial ladder can be employed and spray water on the fire without the presence of the fire fighter. After the fire truck is positioned, its aerial ladder including the waterway can be extended upward and diagonally toward the fire. When in the desired location, water is pumped from the truck through the telescopic piping to the waterway nozzle.
To make a waterway a more effective tool for fire fighting, it should have the capability to be connected to different sections of the aerial ladder. The location of the waterway is determined by the size and location of the fire, whether the ladder will be simultaneously used by fire fighters for other purposes, and what other fire fighting equipment might be operated from the ladder.
One of the drawbacks with present waterways is that they can only be attached to one section of an aerial ladder. Other waterways can be attached to different sections of the aerial ladder, but it is difficult and requires a great effort to disconnect and reconnect the waterway. These waterways utilize the rungs of an aerial ladder to connect the waterway to the ladder. When the ladder is collapsed, these waterways can only be attached to the top section of the collapsed ladder, called the fly section. This section extends the farthest. In order to connect the waterway to a section of the ladder other than the fly-section, the aerial ladder must first be fully extended exposing the section to which the waterway will be connected before the connection can be made.
This invention relates to a unique and novel means for easily attaching and detaching the waterway to different sections of an aerial ladder. Furthermore, the choice of which section the waterway should be connected to can be made at the scene of the fire and regardless of what section is chosen, the aerial ladder need not be extended first.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a waterway that can be removably attached to different sections of an aerial ladder. Another object of the invention to provide an apparatus for such removal and attachment that is of a simple design and easy to operate. It is a further object of this invention to provide a waterway that is securely attached to the underside of the aerial ladder so that the waterway does not interfere in any way with fire fighter ascending and descending the ladder while the water way is in use.